Would you hire me based on this CV?

[balamw]

Try to minimize your long-winded descriptions and statements.

Methinks you haven't hired (or worked with) too many technical Ph.D.s. We tend to pile it higher and 'cause we have to. Keeping things too general will also result in a quick trip to the waste basket.

B

 

[UKnjb]

Methinks you haven't hired (or worked with) too many technical Ph.D.s. We tend to pile it higher and 'cause we have to. Keeping things too general will also result in a quick trip to the waste basket.

B

Agreed with you, again.
Certainly for academic appointments here, the HR department is usually side-stepped during the selection stages; the CV is read by the head of department plus a few seconds-in-command (hmmm - is that the correct form?). The CVs are not judged by length, but by completeness. Also, there is little or no interest in who the candidate is - so much interest in what have they done and how they've done it. And that's where the length can come in.

Now that we know the application is maybe for possible non-academic positions, then the rules change and maybe a short-form CV is necessary. Don't know, but for completeness of a senior academic CV some mods are maybe a good thing.

Extra thoughts to gauchogolfer - how about incorporating the following (as separate headings), with details?

Membership of professional societies
International conferences attended
Invited Talks and Lectures
Committee membership

And in your references, how about dividing them (if applicable) as
Publications:
Peer-reviewed first author
Peer-reviewed co-author
Abstracts
Posters
Conference Papers
Conference, First-author
Conference, Co-author

And as a final bit, how about spelling out the acronyms you have used (like, does UCSB = University of California, Santa Barabara? What is MBE? etc).

And that is now the official end of my 2 pennies worth.... Good luck! Do we get to see the final version?

 

[gauchogolfer]

So here's another go at my resumé, with it shortened to 2 pages and only selected publications included. I think it highlights the places that I've worked a little better, and hopefully gives a better idea of my experience.

The feedback on a cover letter is a good one, and I'll certainly be including that in any application (tailored to the specific company), but I probably won't be looking for comments on that here. You never know, though

Thanks again for all of the constructive comments.

Edit: Sorry I didn't see the last two comments before I posted, stupid IT problems at CNRS.

 

[Thomas Veil]

...Center for Spintronics...

Any relation to Fox News?

Methinks you haven't hired (or worked with) too many technical Ph.D.s. We tend to pile it higher and 'cause we have to. Keeping things too general will also result in a quick trip to the waste basket.

I'm sure. We non-brainy types are always being told to condense our resumés to one page because multiple pages will ensure a trip to the waste basket. But I've seen doctors' CVs that go on and on and on. They'd be even more impressive if I knew what they were talking about half the time.

 

[gauchogolfer]

Any relation to Fox News?

It certainly sounds like it could be, but sadly no. More along the lines of manipulating electron spin as another degree of freedom in devices.

But I like the Fox News idea

 

[caveman_uk]

FWIW, and with no shame or bragging or any other thing, my own CV runs to 29 pages, comprises a short- and a long-form CV, has a Table of Contents page and is also bound. And it works - within my field.

Yeah, but has anyone read past page three of it? If I was interviewing you I wouldn't. In fact I wouldn't bother interviewing someone with a bound, 29 page CV as it would strike me as narcissistic and I'd seriously wonder whether I'd want to work with you.

FWIW, I'm a PhD medicinal chemist that's got more than ten years experience in the pharmaceutical industry with several major companies. The actual employment/education/about me part of my CV is two pages long. The papers and patents section adds another two pages.

 

[balamw]

IMHO The new version is much improved.

You do have to hedge your bets and include both long forms and common acronyms though, as you don't know if you have to face the dreaded HR filter. AFM SEM may be search words they're looking for...

Glad to see you kept one of your papers with a Nobel laureate on your selected list...

The actual employment/education/about me part of my CV is two pages long. The papers and patents section adds another two pages.

I've only updated the pubs & patents section in recent years, but my last CV was 2 pages + 3 of publications and patents. I also have a 1 page "selected publications" version, covering stuff only from the last 10 years. (D**n I must be getting old).

B

 

[gauchogolfer]

IMHO The new version is much improved.

You do have to hedge your bets and include both long forms and common acronyms though, as you don't know if you have to face the dreaded HR filter. AFM SEM may be search words they're looking for...

Glad to see you kept one of your papers with a Nobel laureate on your selected list...

B

Thanks, I think it's a bit more clear than the first effort.
I may put in some acronyms in there where appropriate, if it doesn't make things too cluttered.

For the last comment, I figured I'd include a 5th author position for that exact reason. Never bad to have some 'name dropping' just in case

BTW, how are you familiar with the people at UCSB? Just curious.

 

[UKnjb]

Yeah, but has anyone read past page three of it? If I was interviewing you I wouldn't. In fact I wouldn't bother interviewing someone with a bound, 29 page CV as it would strike me as narcissistic and I'd seriously wonder whether I'd want to work with you.

FWIW, I'm a PhD medicinal chemist that's got more than ten years experience in the pharmaceutical industry with several major companies. The actual employment/education/about me part of my CV is two pages long. The papers and patents section adds another two pages.

Then we would be in some sort of accord as I doubt very much that I would apply to work with you That you would be prepared to dismiss a CV based on length and presentation only, without determining the contents, is revealing.

While the standard of CVs within my own academic field is that they should be complete and, in the great majority of cases, bound, I will continue to keep my mine to the accepted norm. You can think that is narcissistic; opinions are cheap and it is your view. My peers would not agree with you and neither do I.

People can either read CVs, long or short, in detail or not; I neither know nor care. But provided the 'long' CV is the standard in my field and I get employed as a result, I cannot think of any sensible reason to change it.

Earlier posts have touched on the differences between academic and commercial CVs; you work in industry (=commercial) and maybe you adhere to the short-form CVs. And your point would be ---- what?

This has not been a willy-measuring contest, I hope; merely a platform that has high-lighted some different approaches to CV preparation and with contributions aimed at helping gauchogolfer by constructive comments.

 

[ejb190]

I didn't take the time to read everyone else's posts, but I will throw in my two cents. My background is in biotechnology and plant physiology, so science/research based resumes are familiar to me.

1) Under employment, you tell me what you did, but I want to know what you accomplished. Tell me your results in a nutshell. I might tell you I studied plants being grown in fiber containers for my masters. But it is a lot more impressive to tell you I managed to improve the durability of the fiber containers and improve plant health and root structure by optimizing copper concentrations in the fiber.

2) Are you a member of any professional societies? Bilingual? Member of Toast Masters? Anything else that might help you out? There is nothing on your resume about YOU! Who are you and what sets you apart from a dozen other PhD's out there?

3) I might split you pubs into a different document. Sometimes you need them, some times you don't.

4) I have about 5 different resumes, depending on what I am applying for (research, technology, education, etc.). (I recently changed jobs.) Be sure to write the resume to the position you are applying for.

5) I have mixed feeling about your objective statment, but I guess it will depend on what you are applying for. You might be slamming the door on another related job an employer might have that you might be interested in.

Edit - Ahh. I totally missed the Resume/CV argument above. Sorry about that. That should void a few of my points above (But not number 1!!!).

 

[balamw]

BTW, how are you familiar with the people at UCSB? Just curious.

I sent you a PM.

FWIW I'd reorder the papers a bit, putting the letters ones near the top.

B

 

[gauchogolfer]

Thanks again for all of the great feedback.

ejb190, I'll certainly add in some statements about what I've accomplished, not just done; looking now that's a pretty big oversight.

balamw, I'll put the letters at the top, and maybe bump the JSTQE paper up a bit as well.

The constructive comments I've gotten here in just a day have been wonderful. Good old MR community comes through again.

 

[kunio]

I think the resume can vary depending on the kind of job you're looking for but I can give you my 2 cents in general point of view.

First, sit back and relax, imagine you ARE the employer of the job you're applying for. What sort of person would you look for? When I was working in England, my director used to say (media) chucking away cvs in the bin after 2 seconds of browsing 'There are so many CVs telling me about their history but I'm not interested. What I want to know is what they can offer, what kind of benefit they can bring to the company & me' Although this seems to be obvious, it taught me something. Shortly after, I helped with my mates to edit their CVs as some of them couldn't land a job a month after their job searching. After editing together with this in mind, they got a job in a week. The power of CV can't be looked over. Oh and their previous CVs were all 3 pages.

Second, when you talk about yourself, be specific & try to avoid words such as 'hard working, team oriented, good communicator etc etc' as they are written in the most of the CVs out there. And the good company gets tons of CVs just like this. It's like you are stating that you're no different to others. My current boss (sydney uni) told me the reason she liked my CV was because of my weirdest profile she's ever seen; 'lazy but always get the job done'. So she decided to give me an interview out of curiosity. Although This was meant to be a joke in my part because I didn't take this job I applied for seriously, (as a backpacker on working holiday) so I don't recommend to go this far but at least it proves the point.

I also agree the achievement/accomplishment should be included preferably with a copy of an evidence and if you are a member of the professional body, that's always a big plus as somebody already mentioned above.

There should be more ideas but I'll leave it having to go to bed. Take what you need and bin the rest. Good luck! Job searching can be fun if you're confident enough.

 

[caveman_uk]

Then we would be in some sort of accord as I doubt very much that I would apply to work with you That you would be prepared to dismiss a CV based on length and presentation only, without determining the contents, is revealing.

Revealing maybe. Or does it just say that you think your CV is sooooo important that a reviewer MUST absolutely read all of it.

I get a pile of CVs to read every month two inches thick and if everyone had a small book as a CV then that would be two feet thick. You may be the greatest brain in the world but the ability to summarise is an important one.

If you can't be bothered to have respect for a reviewers valuable time why should they have the respect to read the whole of your CV?

 

[UKnjb]

Revealing maybe. Or does it just say that you think your CV is sooooo important that a reviewer MUST absolutely read all of it.

This is well rattling your cage isn't it?

Please remind me where, in any of my posts in this thread, do I imply that I think my CV is 'sooooo important', or even of any importance whatsoever, except for its usefulness in keeping me employed (and getting grants) along with my peers? Who, as I have pointed out before, maintain similar CVs, many of which are substantially longer than mine. Please refer to a previous post:

FWIW, and with no shame or bragging or any other thing, my own CV runs to 29 pages, comprises a short- and a long-form CV, ~SNIP~ .

By including a short-form CV (4 pages) within the whole document, there is the option for any reader to skip the detail that is included in the complete CV and therefore implies that I certainly don't expect that a reviewer, or anyone else, "MUST absolutely read all of it" (and you split an infinitive there, by the way, but I don't want to be picky), but rather the opposite.

I get a pile of CVs to read every month two inches thick and if everyone had a small book as a CV then that would be two feet thick. You may be the greatest brain in the world but the ability to summarise is an important one.

In previous posts in this thread, I have iterated that the standard of CV to which I subscribe is the accepted norm within my field and I appreciate, and have stated, that this standard does not necessarily apply across the various work arenas.

Now that we know the application is maybe for possible non-academic positions, then the rules change and maybe a short-form CV is necessary

and, for that reason, I changed my opinion and stopped pushing for the, to me, standard academic CV. In any event, to refer to a 29 document as a small book is unscientific hyperbole. You really cannot take it on board, can you, that I restricted my own suggestions for CV preparation based on my limited experience to the academic and bio-medical area?

As it happens, I don't think I am anything other than a moderately bright brain; that apart, your association between brain greatness and ability to summarise is quaint and I can only let it slide past me as being trivial. In any event, you are completely ignorant of who I am, just what is in my CV, what my qualifications are, my history or academic position and whether or not I can summarise anything successfully.

You referred, in one of your previous posts, to your publications and that they took up 2 pages of your own CV. As you are the one who brought this matter up, and to illustrate how completeness and detail can add to length, my own publications (126) take up 11 pages (11pt font size, 1.5 line spacing and 6pt between paragraphs). Each one is important within my complete CV, although only the most recent and significantly illustrative are included within my short-form one.

If you can't be bothered to have respect for a reviewers valuable time why should they have the respect to read the whole of your CV?

I neither know nor care why you took the time to type out this sentence and post it, but you obviously have issues. You have managed to synthesise a fairly offensive accusation based on your own inability to read posts in this thread thoroughly. And please don't even begin to lecture me about respect.

This topic has become really tedious and I regret that either me or my CV, or both, have irritated you to the point of you coming out with such a series of judgemental and baseless statements. I suggest that both of us leave this now? I wish you well.